Holidays' Worst Food Bombs -- and How to Defuse Them

Is that slice of pie worth it? Find out just what it takes to burn off your favorite holiday indulgences

Who wants to diet during the holidays? Thanksgiving, New Year's and every party in between revolves around food (well, okay, family, but food's a close second), so counting calories or carbs during these months feels like a task better suited to the Grinch. Still, no one wants to greet the New Year in pants two sizes too small, either.

Unfortunately for our waistlines -- and our appetites -- it doesn't take much to pack on extra pounds. On Thanksgiving alone, the average American socks away anywhere from 3,000 to 5,000 calories. Since it takes just 3,500 calories to gain one pound, you can see how the weight can pile on quickly.

Eating your way through the holidays is like traipsing through a veritable minefield of calories. Who knows how many buckets of butter are lurking in Aunt Betty's fruitcake? So to help you navigate, we hand-picked the worst of the worst calorie culprits and found out from a ton of research and physical trainer Ryan Lauderdale just what it would take to burn those bad boys off. Spoiler alert: In some cases, it ain't pretty. But don't worry: We also have some suggestions up our sleeve on how to eat, drink and stay merry (and skinny) during the holidays.